Bearathon Teddies

Here are some happy pics of bears made this morning at Beth Shan home in the north of Pretoria.  Janine Rowley from Woman Against Rape is the co-ordinator of the project, and Shannon Visser very kindly donated her time to teach new skills to the residents.

Looks like we have a Bearathon factory opening soon... Well done, girls!
You can follow the Bearathon project on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Bearathon
Please take the time to click the Like button, and share our teddy bear making drive with your friends.
If you have any craft materials (polar fleece, cotton print fabric, beads, sequins, buttons, teddy eyes and noses, knitting wool, toy stuffing) and sewing supplies (scissors, needles, sewing thread, embroidery cotton) that you would like to donate to the project, please email Megan.
Wishing you a creative day!
 

Bearathon Report

We had a fantastic Bearathon day last weekend.  Thank you, thank you to everyone who attended and helped to make the day a success. 
45 bears were completed and are ready to hand over to Woman Against Rape, as well as a cash donation that will buy the items needed to fill comfort packs. 
Here are some photos taken last Saturday. 

As the ladies arrived, they received a pattern pack and they could choose which fabric they wanted to work with.

 The trusty Singer sewing machines were popular once again.  A real time saver, and great for accurate sewing around tight corners.

Once the sewing part was complete, we moved outside and did stuffing and finishing touches under the trees.  This is was the fun part.

If anyone looked as though they were not busy with a bear, Clyde offered them a pony ride...

Here are the fruits of everyone's efforts.

Free Teddy Bear Pattern - A simple softie to sew for Bearathon

Here's a very simple and quick to sew teddy bear softie for you to make. Let's have a look at how to do it:

Make a sturdy template from the pattern, by cutting it from cardboard or an old X-ray.

Cut a piece of fabric approximately 35cm x 35 cm.  If the fabric is stretchy, turn the square so that the most stretch is in the sideways direction.

Fold fabric in half, from left to right.

Place the template on doubled fabric and mark the outline with a felt pen or fabric marker.

Pin the two layers of fabric together so that it will not shift while sewing.

Sew all the way around the outline.  You can use a sewing machine, or sew by hand.

 

 Leaving a 5mm seam allowance, cut neatly all around the teddy bear.

Mark and cut a slit where indicated on the chest of the teddy bear.  This is for turning.

Carefully cut the slit between the legs.

You can also cut small notches around the bear wherever there is a corner.  This will help the fabric to stretch in the right direction when you stuff the bear.

Turn the bear right side out.

Lay the template on the front of the teddy bear (side with slit cut in it) and mark the arm lines and the position of the eyes and nose. 

The line of top stitching through the ears is optional.

Sew the arm lines (and the ears if you are doing that).

Attach the nose and eyes.  You will need an awl, knitting needle or something similar to make a hole on each mark.

Push the shanks of the eyes and nose through the fabric from the right side.

Fasten a safety washer over each eye and the nose by pressing down on it firmly. 

This is easily achieved if you hold a thread spool over the washer and push down.

Stuff the bear.  Use a chopstick, spoon handle, or a haemostat if you have one.  Make sure that the stuffing reaches all the way into the tips of the toes and fingers.

Close the opening with small stitches.

Attach a felt shape or other embellishment over the opening.

Voila!  Your bear is finished and ready to hug.

The instructions and pattern sheets for this project is available as a PDF download (2MB) HERE.

http://tinsoldiers.co.za/Events/Bearathon.html

 https://www.facebook.com/Bearathon

Bearathon 2013

26 October is Bearathon Day!

Woman Against Rape is the beneficiary of Bearathon this year. 

Come and make and donate a teddy bear to WAR in our serene garden at

Tin Soldiers Studio in Irene Pretoria.  No skills required, if you have sewn on a button before, you will be able to make the bear.  We will provide the materials, show you how to sew the bear, and provide teatime treats.

Cost:  R 100 per person.  Proceeds from the fees will be used to acquire provisions needed to fill comfort packs distributed by Woman Against Rape.

Want to join us on the day, but don’t want to make a teddy bear?  You are very welcome!  Pop in any time during the day. 

You can bid on a collectible teddy bear in the silent auction.

WAR councillors will be on hand to answer your questions about their work and offer merchandise for sale. 

Tin Soldiers Studio is open.  Come and meet the bears and dolls in our collection.

 

For more information and to book, contact Megan

Cell: 083 305 5954       Email: megbear99@gmail.com

 www.tinsoldiers.co.za/Events/Bearathon.html

Like our Facebook page to get the latest news
www.facebook.com/Bearathon

Find out more about Woman Against Rape

www.womanagainstrape.co.za

In co-operation with SA Craft Association
www.artsandcraftssa.co.za/Bearathon

WAR - Woman Against Rape

Had a productive meeting with Janine, Yolanda, Daphne and Ca this morning. Starting a project in support of WAR (Woman Against Rape).
WAR is one of the organizations that will benefit from our Bearathon drive this year.  We are going to put together a pile of stunning Comfort Packs by end of October! Info will be on the Bearathon page in a few weeks.  Get ready to make teddies to add to the Comfort Packs, or rummage through your supplies and donate fabric, wool, accessories to make teddies with.
In the meantime, if you would like more info or would like to become involved, let me know. 

Find WAR on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/WAR/190248517773327

I will be chatting more about the project later, but just wanted to share one or two thoughts with you while today's meeting is fresh in my mind.
Janine tells me that rape victims who are counselled and assisted by WAR range in age from a few months old to geriatric.  Although females comprise the largest number of victims, males are sometimes victims too.
Up to 500 Comfort Packs (CP) are put together by WAR volunteers every month, and there is never enough.  A CP consists of toiletries, underwear, a snack and a teddy.  (I will photograph a pack to show you as soon as I can lay my hands on one).  The teddy that gets put into each CP is often the most expensive item.
My feeling when I first thought about a teddy in a CP is that it's unnecessary, and maybe even inappropriate.  A memento of a traumatic event would definitely not be welcome in my life. When I asked Janine whether putting a teddy in the CP is not a bad idea, she put my mind to rest immediately.   She explained that when a rape victim opens the pack to start using the items, the teddy acts as a symbol of hope.  It is a message from a fellow woman to the victim to say that she is not alone, and that someone cares for her plight.  Most of the time, the teddy is the most appreciated item in that pack.
It makes me think of sending a message to a girlfriend to say that she is on your mind.  Do you sometimes do that?  I know that I have been the grateful recipient of such a message often, and that it means the world to me.  
Going to start sewing a messenger teddy tonight!
 

500 Bears to Comfort Children in Distress

Yesterday Frikkie Gous from LifeMed took delivery of approximately 500 teddy bears that we collected for Bearathon 2012.

Left to right:  Megan Wallace, Frikkie Gous and Ina Dandridge.
Frikkie is the marketing manager for LifeMed.  Ina is our Bearathon co-ordinator.  She invested many hours this year in bringing bear making supplies together with the willing hands who make bears for Bearathon every year, and also collecting donations of materials and ready made bears.  Her final duty for 2012 was to find a suitable recipient for the bears, and to arrange the pickup.

This year our Bearathon bears went to LifeMed, and will be distributed by them in accordance with the last wish of Hanco Viljoen, a victim of cancer.
You can read Hanco's story HERE.
Please also like Hanco's TeddyCare Project on Facebook.

Bearathon is an annual event organized by Tin Soldiers Studio.  If you would like to be involved in next year's event, please EMAIL Megan. 

A really big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed teddy bears this year.